Large Group Interview 08/08/2026
Photo by Mattie Branson-Meyer
Large Group Interview Transcript:
MATTIE: Here we go. Oh, and if you're talking, just try to get…
GROUP: Okay.
MATTIE: I can kind of be dynamic with the microphone, but just try to get on close to it.
ADALBERTO: All right, let's go. Let's get it.
ALL: Bo Boooo!!! [Bub up?]
REGGIE: You already know who this is.
RODDY: Bo boo
REGGIE: This is Reggie Reg.
RODDY: This is Roddy Rod.
PETE: Pete Love.
DENIS: Denis Love.
PETE: Four block.
ALL: Four block and two block.
KIM MAIER: You’re gonna be here all night.
MATTIE: Oh, yeah. All right, I'm Mattie and I'm here with, I know we just said it, but.
ALL: Bo booo! That's who we with. Bo booo!
MATTIE: All right, going down the line, will you spell your name for me?
ADALBERTO: Name's Adalberto Carrasquillo. A-D-A-L-B-E-R-T-O C-A-R-R-A-S-Q-U-I-double L-O.
MATTIE: Thank you, and you?
RODDY: R-O-D-D-Y R-O-D. Thank you.
MATTIE: Thank you.
REGGIE: R-E-G-G-I-E B-L-A-K-E.
MATTIE: Thank you.
DENIS: D-E-N-I-S T-A-B-A-R-E-S.
MATTIE: Thank you. All right.
[New member joins] FLOW OF CONVERSATION: What do I gotta do? Whatever you gotta get.
NEW: Oh, what do I gotta do?
MATTIE: Do you wanna be in the interview too? All right, go ahead and sign here.
CHAAS: I already did.
MATTIE: Oh, perfect, sorry. Go ahead and just spell your name.
GROUP: Spell your name.
CHAAS: C-H-A-A-S-A-H-N.
MATTIE: Awesome, thank you. All right, what is your–
GROUP: Hold on, hold on. We interviewing now.
MATTIE: What is your relationship to Park Slope or to Brooklyn?
GROUP: Born and raised. Born and raised. We hung out in this park, we grew up in this park right here. Born and raised. Born in 1965, raised in Brooklyn.
PASSERBY: What happened? Oh is he smoking weed over there? Hey what’s up!
GROUP: Uh oh. Weed is legal. We have an interview. Please. Can you excuse us, please? Hello, we have an interview.
MATTIE: Thank you. All right.
PASSERBY: I wanted to see what’s going on over here. Oh she on the mic. I don't want to hear that.
MATTIE: All right. Do each of you have a particularly powerful or important memory of Park Slope or Brooklyn that you would like to share?
GROUP (flow of conversation): Yes. A lot of people owe me money. Nah, this park right here is memorable. This was our park for many, many years. Yes, yes legendary park. This is where we got together at. We spent our teenage years growing up in this park. Livin life. Fights, hugs, beers, love. Over and over, night after night. Remember? We used to have, we used to have block parties and we used to just walk up and down the block. A lot of memories. And everybody would feed each other, we would love on each other. You know, it was really a tight community. Everyone looked out for each other. Protected each other. We all knew each other. When I was doing something wrong, they used to call my mother, you know, that type of stuff. All right all right, yeah yeah yeah.Yeah, that's all of that good stuff. It’s all good. Blocks to blocks. We knew everybody from blocks to blocks. Bo booo! The park was so called ours. We– we looked after the park. From 20th Street to Flatbush. Until they refurbished it. Yeah. Gentrification took over, but it didn't take us over. We still here. We still here. We still here year after year.
MATTIE: Amazing. Why did you decide to come to the Park Slope Old Timers Reunion today?
GROUP (flow of conversation): To see people. To see all the people. To see old friends. Family, family. Originals, to see the original Park Slopes. Our people got a history of tribal relations, first off. So we was bubb up down here, tribe. Bubb uppp. You know, mothers, brothers, cousins, sisters, friends that became brothers. And there's a very rich history of family down here. So that legacy will never leave. So we had to represent that one more time in 2026.
ALL: Bo booo!
GROUP MEMBER: What else? What's the next question?
MATTIE: What are some things you think more people should know about Park Slope or Brooklyn based on your own experiences?
GROUP (flow of conversation): There's more unity than you think. Yeah. Park Slope has always been diverse. Very good neighborhood for growing up. Kids, children, you know, everybody coming together. Very good neighborhood. Yes. Park Slope has always been Park Slope. In other words, it's always been a jewel. It was a long time in which we were, we were secluded. A hidden jewel, we were. Nobody knew about us, you know. We could walk down the avenue during snowstorms and everything, and now we're known, and it's brought a new flavor, a new direction, but it hasn't erased us. Yup, yup, yup, yup. That's that.
ADALBERTO: Next.
MATTIE: All right. What are your hopes for the future of the neighborhood and Brooklyn?
GROUP (flow of conversation): Lower rent, Lower rent, Lower rent, Lower rent. Lower rent. More parking spaces. Rent too damn high. Better economics. Free government cheese again, please. You know what was nice when we was growing up? That school across the street used to be an after school program. Yeah. They had the gym open. They had the Big Apple program up the block. We need more resources in every neighborhood for– (group members in background: more free lunch!) the kids in the next generation so they can stop roaming the streets. I would like to see that. What happened to our free lunch! Yo Rubin! We got a teacher hostage all our life. Oh yea we hang out with our teachers. We got a teacher for many years, he hangs around. Yo Rubin! Get over here. He’s still here? Yep, from 51. We go to lunch together time to time. He goes on vacation with us. Yeah, yeah. He was our teacher. Best friend now, best friend.
MATTIE: That’s amazing.
GROUP (flow of conversation): It is amazing. It's really amazing. He knows my mother. He knows our parents, come on. I mean, not– for a good reason, not bad. Yeah. Started off– and he had the night sensor, remember? He gave us a place to go because he was responsible for opening and closing the gym, making sure we wasn't fighting, roaming at school. Yes, yes, yes. Otherwise, if he wasn't in charge, we wouldn't be in 51 playing basketball on Tuesdays and Thursdays, because of Mr. Rubin. Rubin, Rubin, Rubin! Yo Rubin! Get to the table. The don, he’s the don. Yeah, here he comes. He's getting up now. Yeah.
MATTIE: Anything else that you guys wanna share?
GROUP: Let’s pay homage to Mr. Rubin! Anything else?
MATTIE: Yeah, anything else that you’d like to share.
GROUP (flow of conversation): It's just so nice. There's so many, so many memories, you know? So many good, good, good memories. That’s Mr. Rubin, that’s our teacher. Mr. Rubin gave us the night center too on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And our best friend now. Gave us something to do to stay out of trouble.
RUBIN: They’re like sons.
GROUP (flow of conversation): That's right. Yes indeed. That's what it turned out. Good that's right. My stepdaddy, the Don. The Don. The Don Rubon. Yes. And he was our teacher.
MATTIE: Anything else?
ADALBERTO: That’ll be all, what’s next?
MAN 4: That’s it?
MATTIE: Perfect, that's it!
ALL: Thank you, we thank you!